Poland's Jerzy Buzek elected president of European Parliament

[demoleft]

Source: reuters/france24

Reuters - The European Parliament elected ex-Polish Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek as its president on Tuesday, making him the first leader from a former Soviet bloc country to hold one the European Union's top posts.

Buzek, 69, won the parliament's support at its first session since an election in June at which his centre-right allies emerged as the strongest force but voters showed their discontent with EU leaders with a record-low turnout.

Although the post is largely ceremonial, his appointment is a symbolic gesture to the new EU member states from eastern and central Europe which often complain their views are not heard by the 27-nation Union's traditional powers.


Read more: http://www.france24.com/en/20090714-poland-jerzy-buzek-elected-president-european-parliament

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sign of the european times, going eastward in search of new growth and breath. like many of our western companies moving there.

"He scored an overwhelming win - 555 votes, to just 89 for the only other candidate, Eva-Britt Svensson from Sweden", reports BBC.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8145196.stm

he's with the PPE, the european popular party which ranges from moderate catholics to centre-rightists.

[Apollo11]

1. How he got so many votes

The centre-right (European People's Party - Christian Democrats) and centre-left (Socialists and Democrats) are the two largest groups in the European Parliament with a combined 58% of the seats. They have done a deal to share the Presidency during the coming 5 years. So Buzek will serve as President for the next 30 months, and then will stand down to be replaced by Martin Schulz - a social-democrat from Germany.

This is a traditional way of doing things in the European Parliament. It depends on having 2 groups who together can deliver more than 50% of the votes in the chamber, agreeing to share the Presidency over a 5 year period (between elections). Usually this is the EPP and the Socialists. One time it was the EPP and the Liberals (who in Europe are mostly centrists).

The new name of the centre-left group is "Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats". See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_Alliance_of_Socialists_and_Democrats

This is mostly because the centre-left in Italy have decided to call themselves the "Democratic Party", as a way of uniting all anti-Berlusconi forces.